KOCHI: Sahal Abdul Samad is used to having fans in excess of thirty to forty-thousand chanting his name when he takes to the field for Kerala Blasters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.
Blasters have one of the best fanbases in India and even visiting teams talk about the excitement of playing in front of such an electric atmosphere.
However, Sahal knows that things would be different this time for him and his team-mates as the Indian Super League will be played behind closed doors in Goa.
"The feeling of playing in Kochi cannot be put into words. There is no doubt that the whole team will miss that experience. But we have no other option this time. We have to cope with their absence, but we know the fans will support us from the safety of their homes," said Sahal who also suggested that it will be the same for other clubs and their players.
However, it is not lost on the India international that at least football is able to return under such trying circumstances.
"I was at home for six months and I missed football during that time. But now, I'm happy to be back playing. It's a different atmosphere here with the teammates. I do miss my family at times, but it is what it is," he said.
The ISL is set to start on November 20 with Kerala Blasters taking on ATK Mohun Bagan in the opener. It will be among the biggest sporting events to happen in the country after the COVID-19 outbreak and the league organisers are leaving nothing to chance.
The teams have been placed in separate bio-secure bubbles and the entire tournament is being organised in Goa across three venues with each team given separate training facilities.
Sahal believes that the league is doing a commendable job even though players are confined to their hotel rooms and go outside only for team training sessions.
"Covid-19 has affected everything around the world including football. There are several restrictions on our activities, but we have to follow them for our own safety and others. The ISL organizers are making sure everyone is safe and the league can go on. They are doing a great job and it's helpful for us to focus on the game while they take care of the rest. Although we have only a limited pre-season period, the entire team is putting in their best effort to compete for a respectable position on the league table. This isn’t just our situation, but the same for all clubs. It's been a different experience, being in the bio-bubble. We have to follow the guidelines strictly. So we are adapting to the new normal," he said.
Due to a truncated pre-season, clubs are having training sessions in the morning and evening but players aren't complaining and Sahal knows that after being away from the game for a long time, it's vital to get match fit.
"The preseason is going in full flow and we have all been training hard. The lockdown was a real challenge when we couldn't be on the field for a long time. But now, we are back to training regularly with the whole squad," said Sahal.